A video last week announcing the establishment of a new wing of al Qaeda on the Indian subcontinent set off alarms in that region, prompting Indian officials to increase the nation’s terror threat level.
The threat of new jihadist activity and the spread of violence have officials the world over calling for increased security measures and heightened vigilance.
Drawing from data collected between 2013-2014, the Pew Research Center has compiled a helpful list of the countries that say Islamic extremism poses a “major threat” to the safety of their citizens.
Italy? That’s a bit surprising.
“Worries about Islamic extremist groups [ranked high] in Senegal, where 67% said Islamic extremist groups are a major threat. Only in Italy (74%), France (71%) and Lebanon (70%) did a slightly higher proportion of adults share the view that Islamic extremist groups are a serious national threat,” Pew reported.
Sure, there have been recent reports, including one alleging a supposed plot by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria to assassinate Pope Francis, of unrest and tension between Italians and elements of Islamic extremism. But it’s still surprising to see that Italy ranked highest among the countries most worried about this fanatic violence.
